How to get your dream patio for cheap

Everyone loves the sunny weather. Even if a warm breeze is present, spirits are lifted when the sun rises and remains in a clear blue sky. We are naturally drawn to be outside and enjoy those days of warmth, but when you have nowhere to sit or hang out, enjoying these moments becomes difficult. While having a patio isn’t the most necessary feature of a home, it is definitely a bonus. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. People tend to avoid enhancing their patio because there is a misconception that it would break the bank. A little Pinterest and Houzz browsing showed me otherwise. Patio life is possible!

Pallets with potential

Pallets are typically easy to come by. Go to department stores or on Kijiji and it is easy to find one. These wooden frames give you so much potential to create something unique out of your yard. Whether it be a deck or creating a lounging area with outdoor pillows. Find more ideas on Pinterest and you’ll be surprised with what you can do.

Have a deck? Refurbish it!

If you already have a deck but you feel it’s a bit drab, think of ways you can enhance it. Maybe it’s as simple as staining it or you can paint a checkered pattern on it. Either way, you’ll land up with a new deck and great outdoor space.

Add some colour and greenery

Sometimes all your patio needs is a little life. Go to your local grocery store and buy some potted flowers and strategically place them around your patio. It is such an easy fix that adds so much to the vibes of your outdoor area.

Inspire yourself

Do you even know how often people are trying to clear up storage space by giving away bricks and sand for free on Kijiji? There is so much you can do with those materials, so find out what is out there and throw that in your Pinterest search bar. If you see red bricks for free on Kijiji, go to Pinterest and search “red brick patio furniture”. Oh look, you can make a firepit.

Make your own hammock

You don’t have to go buy those expensive hammocks just so you can swing in your backyard. If you’re anything like me, I love crafting, especially when I know it’s going to become something I use! There are many ways to create your own, some more intricate and difficult than others, but all doable.

With the Calgary Stampede right around the corner, there is a rising trend for homeowners wanting a rustic feel in their home. Since it’s one of our favourite styles, we are happy to share ways that you can create that “county” vibe in your home. Some are bigger changes than others and therefore more costly, but all achieve the same goal.

Before you continue!

Make sure this rustic style speaks to who you are. A home is a representation of those who live within its walls, therefore you need to make sure it suits you. Plus, if you don’t like it, changing the style of your home twice can get expensive.

Is it for you?

If you prefer warm colours that come from embracing the natural features of nature, then rustic is likely a style for you. The benefit of rustic styles is that you can mix it with a secondary style and, if done correctly, can create a beautiful and balanced atmosphere.

How to get the look?

White walls

Having a white accent wall is one of the easiest ways to create a rustic style in you’re home. White is a color that exudes cheerfulness and new beginnings. You can do anything with it, and if there are some rustic styling tips that you can’t do with your home, a white wall will help. Now, you can’t just have a white wall. Decorate it with rustic accessories or include the other tips from this blog.

Wood everywhere and anywhere

Some might say otherwise, but there is actually no limit to the amount of wood you use in a rustic home. If you have a massive appreciation for the beauty of this material, then go wild and pannel the walls with wood, lay it out on the floor, put beams in the roof and accent it with wood accessories. You can either go crazy or use it cautiously. Key is to let the wood be what it is. Appreciate the weathered and imperfect.

Faux animal skins

Nothing makes a room scream rustic like a faux animal rug does. It immediately creates warmth in and brings a little wild from the outside into your home.

Natural colors

Your colour palette should be inspired from the nature around you. Go out and look how the Earth works all those beautiful colours together. Take that visionary example and apply it to your home. It’s easy to create a rustic feel when you let the outdoors influence your design.

Use the Earth’s objects

If you are incorporating something you discovered in nature, try not to force it into becoming what you want it to be. Let it be imperfectly imperfect. Instead, work around the imperfections and you will create that rustic feel flawlessly.

Sturdy fabric

The fabric that should be found in a rustic-style home should only be that which can withstand hard times. If you’re going to have a throw blanket on the couch, make sure its made of thick cotton with simple patterns that remain classic.

Product picking is personally what I think is the best stage when renovating. Or at least the most exciting stage. By picking products, you are giving others sight to what you’ve been envisioning from the beginning. If you’re like me, you’d be the type of person who could spend hours in a store looking at different colours and textures. I love determining whether a certain tile would look good with the wall paint and wooden floor. Likewise, your decisions at this stage will affect the feel of each room. It’s an exciting challenge to stay within budget while achieving your dream home.

Here is what we’ve been envisioning for our McKenzie Lake project.

Bathroom

Before we took a sledgehammer to the bathroom, the photo to the left is what the tub looked like. It was old-fashioned with yellow tile surrounding the tub. The bathtub area had great potential being located near the windows, so we wanted to use that advantage.

Our vision, to the right, is for the bathroom to be something clean and modern. This photo from Houzz.com gives you an idea of what we are hoping to achieve; a free-standing bathtub, surrounded by windows and preferably dark grey tile.

This bathroom from Houzz.com has a bit more of a country look to it, but the classic colours and free-standing tub give you a glimpse of our hopes for our bathroom.

Kitchen

As you’ve seen from before, the kitchen had some room for improvement. To refresh your memory, I’ve posted a picture to the left. Between the kitchen’s vintage cupboards and modern tile back-splash, the room needed some consistency.

Our inspiration for the kitchen comes from the photo on the right. Clearly, the space we have to work with is not near as large as what’s in this photo. However, the slick feel of the kitchen along with the grey and white colour combination are the qualities we hope to transfer over to McKenzie Lake.

Since we were able to demo our McKenzie Lake project ourselves, we gathered some tips and tricks for our followers. With trial and error, we learned how to save money and time throughout the whole demo process. Before you take on your own project, read through this blog to save yourself some headaches.

Rent a dumpster

This will save you money in the long run, especially for those larger projects. Not only will renting a dumpster ensure your disposing of materials safely, but it will save you from making a number of trips to the dump.

Be careful removing baseboards

Ripping out baseboards and window casings may be a lot of fun, but be careful not to create more damage than necessary. The more you damage the dry wall, the more time and money it will take to patch those holes up.

Use the right gear!

The proper tools when demoing will make tasks so much easier and reduce the likelihood of causing damage to your home. Another important reminder is making sure everyone on your crew has eye protection! Ripping materials out of walls will means nails and wood dust will be everywhere.

Plan for a couple hours

Depending on how big your job is, the demo could take more than one day. To provide context, consider our McKenzie Lake project. Demoing this house took about 25 hours with a three-person crew. In our case, there was a lot to be taken out; flooring, baseboards, doors, switch/plug covers, casings around windows/doors, appliances, tiles in all rooms, cabinets, cupboards and countertops. Hopefully this gives you an idea of timing needed for your own project.

Things to keep

If your renovation involves taking out countertops in the kitchen, keep the sink. You will need it for water! If you’re one of the lucky ones who gets a new fridge, don’t throw the old one out! You can put it up for resale on Kijiji or your website of choice. Whatever you think will sell, post it. However, don’t get too hung up about getting the best deal for each item. There is a lot on the go with renovating as is, so don’t add more stress by trying to make money off items you were going to throw out.

Clean up behind you

This may come as a no brainer to some, but others have tendencies to finish a task in one room and go on to the next without taking out the garbage left behind. In the long run, this creates more work for you and others. Our advice is to take out all the garbage to your dumpster before you move on to the next task.

Starting a new project is always exciting for us. We believe to do well requires understanding and knowledge of the community we are working in. The first project we have for 2018 is in McKenzie Lake, a suburban neighborhood in southeast Calgary. Before we provide updates on our McKenzie Lake project, we wanted to provide some background information on the community.

History

McKenzie Lake was not always a community with a lake. In fact, the original community was called McKenzie in 1984. As Calgary grew in the 1990s, the city was inspired by the success of Lake Bonavista. As the neighboring community to McKenzie, Lake Bonavista had a lake at the heart of its community, making it attractive to live there. With this knowledge, Calgary built a lake for the community of McKenzie, changing its name to McKenzie Lake. Following this expansion, the neighborhood became much more charming.

Activities

McKenzie Lake has grown into an active area that values the ability to be connected. The McKenzie Lake Community Association (MLCA) encourages homeowners to become members and work together to keep the community at its greatest potential. The MLCA offers everything from before and after school care to yoga and basketball classes. A second organization, McKenzie Lake Residents Association (MLRA), also tries to improve the community by giving Pilates, Zumba and sport-ball programs. To keep the community connected, the MLRA hosts safe and fun events, such as the Father’s Day Fishing Derby and their Family Fun Day.

Culture

Most buildings in the McKenzie Lake community are single-family homes. The community aims to provide activities for its residents, so it’s no surprise that McKenzie Lake is the spot for raising a family. With its strong effort to build a sense of community, McKenzie Lake has also become a popular spot for immigrants to live. Priding itself on being a welcoming community, it makes it easy for new families to settle in. However, there isn’t a high turnover rate for houses in McKenzie Lake. Those that move there tends to stay there. It is a family community, one that brings connection and security to those that live there.

The last step before you can go through with your home makeover is to pare down and pack up. This means going through all your belongings and putting away everything other than your essentials. If you’re choosing to live in your home while work is being done on it, I highly recommend you follow through with this step to help maintain your sanity. If not, the chaos felt from the renovation will be overwhelming as your stuff lays around, waiting to get damaged or dirty.

Clean out your closet

Whether you like it or not, you probably have some items throughout your house that you’ve been holding on to when you should have thrown them away years ago. If you’re going to pack everything up to create more space during your renovation, you might as well filter through the belongings and discard unused and disliked items. This will help when the renovation is complete.

Have a system

When you’re going through each cupboard and closet, have both clear bins and cardboard boxes nearby. Items which you frequently use should be placed in the clear containers, making them easier to find when they’re needed. Other items that you know you want to keep but won’t need over the next few months can be placed in the cardboard box. Even consider packing into containers that have wheels, as you will need to move boxes around throughout your renovation.

Move out or stay in

While you might want to stay home and be present for any possible issue that comes up, another option would be to rent or stay at a friend’s place. This would be an added cost, but it might help maintain some of your sanity and organization. If you choose to stay in, make plans for where you will continue daily routines. For example, if you’re renovating your master bathroom, don’t renovate the guest bathroom at the same time, as you need that space in the meantime. If you’re renovating your kitchen, designate a room as a make shift kitchen, complete with a microwave, table and chairs.

Little ones and your pets

As much as you love them, pets and children can make a project all the more difficult. You have to watch them, feed them and entertain them all at the same time as managing your renovation. Ask a family member or a friend if they would help with babysitting your children or housing your pet for a couple weeks. This will help ease your mind and ensure your renovation is being done properly. Soon enough, the whole family will be back together again, enjoying your new home.